December 2, 2020
Welcome to the December Men's Reflection!
We are pleased to offer our Monthly Evenings of Reflection for Men in an on-line format!
This Month's Topic:
Making Room For The Lord and Welcoming His Lost Sheep
Preacher:
Fr. Peter Hopkins, LC
{Please Note: Times are Eastern Time.}
7:45 pm Log-in and Welcome 8:00 Meditation 8:30 Personal Reflection 8:45 Conference 9:30 Farewell |
Here is the ZOOM Link for the Men's Evening of Reflection:
- Zoom Meeting ID: 865 6985 8766
- Password: Mens
- Link to the Reflection
Pre-Retreat Technical Orientation Video -------------->
On the right side of this page you will find the Pre-Retreat Technical Orientation Video. Please plan to watch this short video to introduce youself to the Zoom platform prior to the beginning of the retreat.
If you DO NOT already have ZOOM on your computer...
You will need to download it to attend the retreat remotely. Please follow the link below to download Zoom Client for Meetings. This version is completely free.
Troubleshooting ZOOM on various devices.
Here are links to some other videos to help troubleshoot problems and questions related to different devices.
- "How to Join Zoom Video Conference Using Your Phone" Click here
- "Using Zoom on Your iPhone or iPad" Click here
Should you have any questions or issues with the Zoom process or links
please contact the Tech Manager via phone call or text:
Charlie at 703-851-0799
Materials
Gospel for Meditation: Matthew 5: 17-37
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry* with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again, you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all;* not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black
Tips for finding silence.
- Create a spot in your home where you can be away from any other activity. Here are some ideas for Creating a Prayer Corner in your home.
- Discuss with other family members your desire to spend this quiet time in prayer. If appropriate, invite them to join you on this journey.
- Plan your mealtimes to allow you to continue your prayer time. Make something ahead of time, or make the task of preparing the meal a prayer itself.
Technical preparations
- If you don't have ZOOM installed on your computer, download the app and try to familiarize yourself with the controls.
- Watch the Pre-Retreat Technical Orientation Video.
Virtual Retreat Etiquette and Suggestions for Success
Watching a retreat from home is a new experience for many of us. Here are some suggestions, requests and reminders to help us all stay focused:
- Troubleshoot your ZOOM connection early
Make sure you have the most recent ZOOM download. Even if you are a pro at video conferencing, it never hurts to double-check your settings and make sure your audio and camera are correctly configured.
If you are new to ZOOM, please familiarize yourself with the controls and options of your version. We have prepared a short “Tech Orientation Video” to help walk you through some common problems; please take the time to review this video. After all of this, if you still have questions or concerns, please contact the Tech Manager assigned to your retreat.
- Please keep your camera on during the retreat
Your camera will be turned on upon entering the ZOOM meeting room. It is helpful to our priests and other speakers for everyone’s video to remain on during each talk. Presenting a talk to an empty room can be difficult for anyone, even our priests! They have requested that your camera remain on because having the ability to see your responses and body language while they are preaching encourages them as they strive to be instruments of the Holy Spirit. Of course, if you prefer the privacy, you may turn your camera off.
- Eliminate distractions from your computer to help you focus on the retreat
Notifications from messaging applications, ringtones, and applications running on your desktop can be distracting to you, which can make your speaker feel disrespected and undervalued. Mitigating these distractions helps keep you focused on the content.
- Remember: we can see you
As mentioned above, we are asking everyone to leave their cameras on. To avoid becoming a distraction for the speaker and other participants, please try to attend the retreat from a quiet area that has minimal background noise and movement.
- Maintaining common courtesies
Though this may seem obvious, video conferencing is just like an in-person interaction, therefore it is important to use the same courtesy you would use if you were in the same room. This includes being on time, paying attention to the speaker, minimizing multitasking and background noises, and refraining from interrupting.
Plan Now to Join Us Next Month!
Register now for next month's Reflection
January 6, 2021
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